William Edwards (1793)
& Hannah Davis

William "Grancey Billy" Edwards, son of David EDWARDS, Jr. & Elizabeth
ANDREWS, was born June 22, 1793, in Orange or Wilkes (Ashe)
Co., NC, and died 1881 in Alleghany Co., NC. He married Hannah
Davis, abt. 1812. She was born abt. 1791 in North Carolina,
and died July 9, 1852 in Ashe Co., NC.

Notes

rancey Billy Edwards, as William Edwards (1793)
was known, lived in northern Alleghany County near Moccasin Creek
and the Little River. He and his family were close
neighbors of the Chesley
Cheek family, based on many deeds involving William's son
Archibald Edwards and grandson Morgan Edwards. There were a
lot of Edwards in this area, including "Grancey
Billy's" uncle William
Edwards who was born in 1776 and died 1869. It is easy
to get them confused, so care is needed when reviewing the
records.

Grancey Billy was murdered in 1881 by Hemp Crouse.
According to Alleghany County Heritage, p.193, article no.
295, "Hemp Crouse had seen him [Grancey Billy]
delivering oxen in the vicinity of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Since Grancey Billy didn't receive money as payment for the
oxen, Hemp only got fifty cents off the body. On his death
bed, Hemp told where to find Grancey Billy's bones. His
grandson, Morgan, found the bones and placed them in the cemetery
above the Dillon Edwards home."